Oppo launched the Reno 12 series in the Kenyan market last month, with the series consisting of Oppo Reno 12 and Oppo Reno 12F. The Reno 12 series is the successor to Reno 11 which was launched in May this year.
We got an opportunity to take the Oppo Reno 12F out for a spin, and these are our thoughts.
Design
The Oppo Reno 12F measures 6.42 x 2.98 x 0.31 inches and weighs 187 grams which is on the lighter side, and I generally found it comfortable in the hand. It comes with a plastic back with a matte finish giving the device a premium look while also ensuring that there are no fingerprint smudges.
The Reno 12F features a 6.67-inch screen which unlike the Reno 12 is not curved. It however has minimal bezels giving the phone a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 86.9 per cent which ensures that one has more real estate for viewing. The screen has a high definition 1080 X 2400 resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio which translates to 395 pixels per inch density. This coupled with a 120 Hertz dynamic refresh rate and a 360 Hertz sampling rate to give you a crisp and responsive display. It has 600 nits of typical brightness which tops out at 2100 nits which means that you can be able to view the screen under any lighting conditions. The screen has Asahi Glass protections and IP 65 rating for dust and water resistance, but we don’t recommend taking it out for a swim.
The selfie camera is located at the top side of the screen with the top edge featuring a stereo speaker, the left edge has is bare. While the right edge features the volume up and down rocker plus the power button. The bottom of the phone holds the sim card tray, a stereo speaker, Type C charging port and a microphone. The back houses the triple camera setup and led flash.
Surrounding the camera bump the back is the Breathing Light which I found to be quite interesting. It lights up when you are charging, have incoming calls, and notifications from any app of your choosing. It also blinks to the tune of the music if you’re playing one, and when you’re launching a game.
You can schedule when it will light up and choose between eight different colors per function.
Performance
The Oppo Reno 12F runs on the Android 14 operating system straight out of the box and a ColorOS 14 interface. The phone comes with some preinstalled apps such as Phoenix, Netflix and games, however, these can be disabled or uninstalled with ease.
Under the hood, the Reno 12F rocks a Mediatek Dimensity 6300 which is built on a 6 nm process node technology and has a maximum CPU frequency of 2.4 GHz. For gaming it uses the Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, it has 12 GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
The phone handled day to day performance with ease and I was able to multitask, use social media, streaming, have online meetings and switching between apps. It also handled fairly well while playing games such as Asphalt Legend, Call of Duty PUBG and Modern Combat.
AI
Oppo has termed the Oppo Reno 12 series as their best AI phone yet and I can actually see why given the various AI features that it comes loaded with designed to make your life easier.
AI Eraser enables you to remove unwanted people or objects at the touch of a button. This AI model has been trained on billions of public domain images to offer up to 98 percent image recognition accuracy. This has the ability to recognize human beings and other everyday objects.
@insiderkenyaYour photo game will never be the same again with the Oppo Reno 12 series. The AI Eraser feature let’s you get rid of that annoying ex or photo bombers from your pics keeping the fresh. #TapIntoAI #OPPOReno12Series #OppoReno12 #OppoReno12F♬ original sound – InsiderKe
AI Studio enables you to create AI photos of yourself by letting you add cool backgrounds to create some awesome looking images of yourself.
@insiderkenya Spice up your selfies with the AI Studio feature on the Oppo Reno 12 series. AI Studio let’s you create AI photos of yourself by adding cool backgrounds to create some awesome pics. #TapIntoAI #AIStudio #OppoReno12series #OppoReno12 #OppoReno12F ♬ original sound – InsiderKe
AI Recording Summary enables you to save time by quickly summarizing an online meeting or interview. Users can record meetings and thereafter use the onboard AI to generate notes, summaries and transcripts at the touch of a button.
AI Link Boost utilizes smart network technology to ensure that your call don’t drop in areas with poor network connection such as a crowded concert or an elevator. The feature enables you to connect quickly to the nearest cell tower allowing you to continue with your conversation.
Camera
Just like its predecessor, the Reno 11 series the Oppo Reno 12F does not disappoint in this regard. It comes with a combination of three cameras at the back, 50MP wide+ 8MP ultrawide+2MP macro, and the 32MP selfie camera to create photos which are sharp and detailed.
With shooting modes such as Pro, Video, Portrait and Night, smartphone photography enthusiasts are spoilt for choice. What’s more, both sets of cameras can shoot videos in 1080 pixels up to 30 frames per second.
Check out the photos.
Battery
The Oppo Reno 12F features a 5000 mAh non-removable battery supported by a 45Watt flash charging power brick. This means that it can fully charge the device from 0 to 100% in under 1 hour.
A user gets a full day’s heavy use from a fully charged battery, so everything from listening to music, to reading and browsing as well as gaming is possible. While moderate usage can give you two to three days.
Conclusion
You should get this phone if you are looking for a midrange device with excellent cameras and good battery life. The Oppo Reno 12F is retailing at Ksh. 49,999 and comes in two colors that is the Amber Orange and Olive Green.